Team Lead Physiotherapist/First Contact Practitioner (MSK Outpatients)

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£2.1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 14,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King’s College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in the London Borough of Bromley.

We encourage all our staff to have a healthy work/life balance. In doing so, you can apply for flexible working from the beginning of your employment. We offer a range of options which are designed to suit different circumstances and priorities in line with service requirements.

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Team Lead Physiotherapist / First Contact Practitioner (FCP) to join our dynamic MSK Outpatient service. This is an exciting opportunity for a highly skilled clinician with advanced musculoskeletal expertise and leadership experience to play a key role in delivering high-quality patient‑centred care across outpatient and primary care settings.

As an MSK Team Lead, you will provide clinical leadership and support to physiotherapists and wider multidisciplinary team members, ensuring evidence‑based practice, professional development, and service excellence, whilst managing your own MSK caseload. You will contribute to service improvement initiatives, clinical governance, audit, and the ongoing development of MSK pathways.

The successful candidate will work autonomously as a First Contact Practitioner, providing expert assessment, diagnosis, and management of patients presenting with musculoskeletal conditions. You will be responsible for managing MSK conditions in primary care, supporting early intervention, and helping patients access the right care at the right time without the need for a GP referral.

• To be a physiotherapy clinical expert in the management of patients with musculoskeletal conditions for Kings College Hospital.
• To be a first contact practitioner for patients referred to the virtual fracture clinic and to be a first contact practitioner clinics in GP practices, providing expert clinical intervention, developing and using advanced clinical practice as required.
• The postholder will be required to train to work in other related clinics including musculoskeletal Clinical Assessment Triage Service (MCATS) and FCP as required.
• To be responsible for some operational management and clinical leadership of physiotherapy services related to the VFC in conjunction with the Deputy Head of Physiotherapy.
• To use expert physiotherapy knowledge skills to provide specialist support and advice to the musculoskeletal team, Orthopaedic consultants, Rheumatologists, Spinal Surgeons, GPs and other healthcare staff, and to manage own caseload of patients with highly complex conditions as an autonomous practitioner.
• To ensure a high quality, effective and efficient physiotherapy service in the musculoskeletal outpatient department.
• To be a member of the Physiotherapy Department Management team, contributing to planning and policy development in the physiotherapy department, and deputise for the Deputy Head of Physiotherapy as required.

The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust‑wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person‑centred, digitally‑enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King’s to another level.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people. King’s is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone’s contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust’s carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

This post requires a flexible approach to working and may require the post holder to work as part of a rota’d seven day working pattern as necessary. Staff may be required to work across multiple sites dependent upon the needs of the service. This includes both static and rotational posts.

Education and Qualifications:

• To have a degree or other recognised qualification in physiotherapy.
• HCPC Registered.
• Post‑graduate training/qualification in the management of musculoskeletal disorders.
• Experience of supervising and developing other staff and students.
• MSc in related area.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Significant postgraduate clinical experience.
• In‑depth knowledge and understanding of a broad range of musculoskeletal and orthopaedic conditions including spinal conditions.
• Advanced knowledge and experience of a wide range of approaches to the management of complex and chronic musculoskeletal conditions and treatment skills including spinal conditions.
• Knowledge and experience of Clinical Governance and its implications for the physiotherapy service.
• Previous experience in Primary Care.
• Advanced clinical reasoning skills.
• Experience with working in VFC clinics.

Skills and Competencies:

• Recognise boundaries of own knowledge/skill.
• Advanced clinical reasoning skills.
• Competent to take part in on call and/or weekend physiotherapy rotas.
• IT skills, including keyboard and word processing skills.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to process and share highly complex information.

You must have appropriate UK professional registration. This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.